This entry is part of the Lexicon of Klezmer Terminology (LKT). The LKT compiles a wide array of source materials that shed light on the historical and contemporary state of knowledge about klezmer music. Each entry includes a number of citations from primary and secondary sources that include or refer to the term in question. It also indicates whether musical notation or sound recordings are included in the source. By clicking on the bibliographic hyperlink at the end of each citation, you get the full reference.
“The Friday before the wedding, the mekhutonim, meaning the bride and groom’s parents, used to send the klezmer along with the badkhn to all of their closest friends and relatives to play a ‘kabalos-shabos.’ The badkhn would call out to whom, and the klezmorim would play a march.” [Vilna, Lithuania, c. 1880s-90s]. Zizmor 1922a, p. 873.
For more information on this concept, see Kabalat Shabat.